Noida: A 27-year-old engineer who slipped into an open drain along a flooded stretch in Sector 58 earlier this week may have been electrocuted before he collapsed. His body was recovered from the 2.5-foot-deep drain filled with rainwater on July 9, when the city received a spell of intense showers.A 51-second CCTV footage that surfaced Saturday shows the engineer, Aryan, suffered an electric shock from a nearby electricity pole as he walked along the edge of the drain, where several slabs were missing. He then collapsed into the drain, the clip shows.The footage also shows a colleague rushing to help, who appears to receive a shock himself and retreats. Bystanders are seen keeping their distance, apparently fearing live current in the water.Aryan, who lived in rented accommodation in Sector 22 and worked at a private company in Sector 58, was walking to his office after an autorickshaw dropped him off a little ahead of the building because of intense waterlogging, police said.Police said the visuals point to the possibility of electrocution but said the exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed as autopsy could not establish the cause. His viscera samples have been preserved for forensic analysis.Aryan’s family, meanwhile, accused Noida Authority and the electricity department of negligence, alleging that unchecked waterlogging, an uncovered drain and unsafe electrical infrastructure created a fatal hazard.Locals told TOI the drain was too shallow for drowning to be the likely cause and demanded an inspection of electrical installations in waterlogged areas, along with action against officials found responsible.
